For many years I have been fascinated by the compositional work of Alexander Scriabin. His “Poeme-Nocturne” op. 61 for piano shows his formal rigor and his innovative harmony. In my composition for eleven instruments, I follow this stringency, whereby – as with Scriabin – individual motifs and gestures determine the structure. The harmony is borrowed from the richness of colors of Scriabin’s music, extended by microtonality and noise-like sounds, which, as it were, fit into the strict structure of the piece, as does the instrumentation.
Commissioned by E-MEX Ensemble, Essen and Ensemble Proxima Centauri, Bordeaux 2015
©Verlag Neue Musik, Berlin
INSTRUMENTATION
Ensemble: 2 flutes, clarinet in B-flat, soprano saxophone, 2 percussionists, piano, celesta and string trio (violin, viola, violoncello)
11 min.
„Freiburg-Version”: flute, oboe, clarinet in B-flat, 1 percussionist, piano, celesta and string trio (violin, viola, violoncello)
©Verlag Neue Musik, Berlin
FIRST PERFORMANCES
Cologne, 27 Jan. 2016
E-MEX and Proxima Centauri Ensemble
Freiburg, 25 April 2018
Ensemble Recherche
About Michael obst
Michael Obst is a composer, pianist, and teacher. He began his successful composing career with electronic music and subsequently composed works for music theater, film and concert halls. His experience as a pianist with the Ensemble Modern, enriched his understanding of contemporary music. After 25 fulfilling years of teaching, he is now excited to once again concentrate on his own composition projects.
- INFO@MICHAEL-OBST.COM